As the Democratic Republic of Congo endures scenes reminiscent of the Rwandan genocide of the 1990s, reports have emerged of an attack in the northeast of the country.

While the rest of the country is under attack from Rwandan-backed M23 rebels, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) – an ISIS-affiliated group with Ugandan roots – staged a raid on Mayba in the Lubero region of the DRC.

The Christian persecution watchdog Open Doors reports that the group silently approached a group of 20 men and women and captured them. As the local community was trying to respond to the kidnapping, Open Doors says ADF militants surrounded the village and captured a further 50 people.

The 70 men and women were then taken to a Protestant church in Kasanga, where they were later found beheaded.

Among the victims were members of the CECA 20, or Communauté Evangélique au Centre de l’Afrique – an evangelical community of Christians founded by the Africa Inland Mission in 1912.

With the attacks expected to intensify, Open Doors has called for prayer for Christians in the DRC, quoting one CECA 20 elder as saying “We don’t know what to do or how to pray; we’ve had enough of massacres, May God’s will alone be done.”

From Open Doors - please pray
 
    •    That God’s comfort will engulf all those grieving and traumatised by this incident, and that Christians in the area affected by persecution will be strengthened in their faith in Jesus
    •    For the Lord to intervene in bringing a halt to these attacks, and for national and international governments, organisation and security forces to do more to provide security and justice in the region
    •    That the Holy Spirit will soften the hearts of ADF militants, leading them to Jesus, and that all their plans will be thwarted.

Main photo: UNPOL (UN Police) patrol Goma, North Kivu, D.R. Congo earlier this year Credit: MONUSCO/Kevin Jordan